When we launched Rollo & Grady in July 2008, we made reference to the following quote from Jim James:

“At the end of the day, my tastes are all over the map. I don’t see boundaries in music, so if I’m excited about an Outkast song or some Sam Cooke gospel record, I want to bring that into my world.”

James’ words sum up the way we feel about music and the way we run our site. Our daily posts are consistently inconsistent. Some days we’ll run a mellow acoustic song followed by a metal or hip-hop song. There is no rhyme or reason to our selections; it’s just the way we feel in the moment.

Last year we ran a special feature where we asked over 60 of our favorite artists to submit their top 5 albums of 2009. This year we asked over 120 artists to submit their top 10 favorite albums of 2010.

The participating artists are from all over the world and cover many genres: Funk, jazz, hip-hop, blues, pop, rock, country, afrobeat, world, americana, soul, punk, heavy metal, electronica, and folk.

In addition to the artists, we asked our readers, friends, journalists, radio DJs, music supervisors, photographers, and fellow bloggers to submit their favorite albums.

We listed everyone’s picks the way we received them. People chose EPs, reissues, 7″, DVDs, books, and Justin Bieber. If you want to learn more about the artists, click on their names listed above the images.

JOHN VARVATOS – FASHION DESIGNERBlack Keys – Brothers
Tom Petty – Mojo
Paul Weller – Wake Up the Nation
Black Country Communion – Black Country Communion
Mavis Staples – You Are Not Alone
Jesse Malin & The St. Mark’s Social – Love It To Life
Robert Plant – Band of Joy
John Legend & The Roots – Wake Up
DVD – It Might Get Loud with Jimmy Page, Jack White & The Edge

TURBO FRUITSMelted by Ty Segall
Astro Coast by Surfer Blood
Brothers by The Black Keys
Heavy Days by JEFF the Brotherhood
Black Rabbit 7″ (Third Man Records) by PUJOL
Nightjogger 7″ by Those Darlins
The Cradle by Colour Revolt
Congratulations by MGMT
Smith Westerns by Smith Westerns
Up With Chains, Down With Liberty by Chain & the GangTurbo Fruits – Fight This!

MONDRIANThe Growlers, Are you in or out
Morning benders, Big echo
The Bewitched Hands, Birds & drums
Beach House, Team dream
Shit Browne, Every single penny be reinvested in the party
Mount Kimbie, Crooks and loversMondrian – Love, a collision

The Black Keys. Brothers.
This is my number one for sure. I love every song on this record and i think i’ve listened to it almost every day since i bought it. The first track got me hooked and still hasn’t let me go. Favorites… Everlasting Light, Next Girl, and Sinister Kid. Such a bitchin baseline. The Tighten Up video is also one of my favorites of the year. Super funny.

Kanye West. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
I was watching Kanye’s VMA performance this year, and thought to myself, what the fuck? Looked awesome. White stage, and him alone triggering a white MPC. Rad. The beat in Runaway is sooo badass. I honestly couldn’t decide wether i liked or hated it after hearing the lyrics… turns out i like it. i really like it. All of the Lights gets stuck in my head all of the time and the video teaser for Power is absolutely unreal. Well done Mr. West.

Arcade Fire. Suburbs.
I was a little late on this boat. All my friends have loved this band forever and i never really gave them a chance. I fucked up. These guys are good. Epic and fun.

Yeasayer. Odd Blood.
We had the privilege of playing with these dudes at a couple festivals over in Europe this summer. Loved their lights and samples. Great vocals and melodies. Interesting stuff.

Tame Impala. Innerspeaker.
When we were recording in El Paso this spring, one of our producers was showing us some new bands he thought we’d be into. Tame Impala one may favorite of his list. They just sound fucking cool. Stoner and psychedelic at times, pretty badass throughout. Hoping to catch their show in Portland this winter.

Surfer Blood. Astro Coast.
I’m loving the new surf rock thing that’s going around lately and these dudes are on the top of that list for me especially when it comes to tones. awesome fuzz and reverb. Fun summertime party tunes.

Hot Chip. One Life Stand.
I’m normally not into this kind of thing… But shit. It’s so good! Johnny showed me the video for I Feel Better, and i was laughing my ass off. Couldn’t get that melody out of my head for weeks. Very interesting musicianship and incredibly smooth vocals. We play this album a lot in the van.

Tobacco. Maniac Meat
Holy shit. The beats and synth on this album are intense. Way cool. Fresh Hex was the first track i heard. Beck’s vocals sound amazing. Super heavy and raw. Love it.

Cee Lo. The Lady Killer.
Ok, so this album is pretty throw back and i’m not super impressed with most of it, but shit… I love this guy. I imagine i always will. Besides, Fuck You is maybe the best song i’ve heard all year, so i had to put it on the list.

Lil Wanye. Rebirth.
I’ve never listened to this dude, but the single on this album seriously changed my mind. Drop the World is awesome and it has since got me into a ton of his stuff. he keeps very busy and i respect him for that as well.Portugal the Man – Children

BEACH HOUSE – Teen Dream
- I can’t even begin to tell you how many household singalongs we’ve had to this record since its release. Sounds even 10x better on vinyl.

SHARON VAN ETTEN – Epic
- Absolutely gorgeous. Some of my favourite songs I’ve heard in ages. (A nice counterpoint to a record I was also obsessed with this year, Laura Gibson’s 2009 album Beasts of Seasons).

KRIS ELLESTAD – No Man is Land
- A local hero who deserves worldwide attention. Streaming now at his Bandcamp site — here’s hoping the right label hears these jams and takes him on.

WITHERED HAND – Good News
- Just signed to Absolutely Kosher in the States, meaning one of my favourite records of 2010 will become one of your favourite records next year when it’s released Stateside.

BRAIDS – Native Speaker
- I know it’s not coming out until January 2011, but I’m counting it on my 2010 list given how often it’s blown me away on my iPod the past few months.

BASIA BULAT – Heart of My Own
- Basia is the queen of the folk hook. Her chord changes are absolutely sweeping — whenever I see her, part of our interaction usually involves me exclaiming, “Basia! [Insert Song Title Here]! How did you do that?!”

THE ACORN – No Ghost
- Rolf is a wicked gentleman, and his songs are amazing. Built up, torn down, then reconstructed again, it all seems like a painstaking process that always sounds so natural and easy. (I also did a cover of one of my favourite tunes from the record for their special edition tour CD Make the Least of the Day)

OWEN PALLETT – Heartland
- Our album release tour just happened to co-incide with Owen Pallett’s album release tour of churches — same cities, same nights in Ontario. So, we’d go see some of Owen’s set after our soundcheck, be sufficiently blown away, and then head off to do our own show full of inspiration. The guy’s tops.

HORSE FEATHERS – Thistled Spring
- I was lucky to tour with Horse Feathers through Europe this fall, and each and every show I was given chills. An absolute new favourite.

SUN AIRWAY
ariel pink – before today
This album goes straight to the veins. It’s like a pure injection of maniacal laughter mixed with a broken time machine. Pure 70s AM gold through the lens of someone in a straightjacket. “Round and round” might be my song of the year. Also, i’m totally creeped out in the best possible way by the kurt cobain-lookingness of this dude.

delorean – subiza
this album actually has the power to transport you to a tropical island. i’m not sure how they did it but it’s song after song of trance/joy-inducing hot-sand-danceparty. absolutely love the production, was a really fun remix for me and great to have a chance to pull apart “stay close” and examine it so closely. there’s something ephemeral here that’s hard to describe but there’s enough substance to make it last.

crystal castles – crystal castles
this one took me by surprise. I didn’t expect to like it at all but for some reason couldn’t get enough. i love the production and the treatment of the vocals and the crazy variety from track to track. this album finds a way to be pretty and brutal, often at the same time. pretty brilliant stuff.

beat connection – surf noir EP
This definitely gets best free download of the year/all time. It’s only 6 songs but every one of them is different and awesome. Not sure why I haven’t been reading more about these guys, but I have a feeling that will change in 2011.

lcd soundsystem – this is happening
hot chip – one life stand
two outstanding records by dance-pop alumni. I hate to lump them together but I love them equally and there’s definitely a similarity between them. There’s a level of confidence busting out of them both that you don’t hear in a lot of the newer bands. These guys all know they’re on the top of their game and it shows. Songcraft and production that make me want to take notes.

kanye west – my beautiful dark twisted fantasy
i’m on board. kanyes best album and first that I can listen to all the way through without wanting to skip something (well maybe the chris rock monologue). also, i’m super jealous of justin vernon getting to work on this. call me up next time kanye!

lower dens – twin hand movement
honestly, i hadn’t heard this before our tour together and for the first few nights I missed their set. when i finally saw them, my mind was completely blown. jana’s voice is so beautiful and everything else is so tasteful and well-executed. this is a band that you can watch every night and still want to listen to in the van on repeat. we all became mildly obsessed. hope our paths cross in the near future.

deerhunter – halcyon digest
some truly great songs on here. Bradford Cox is building a very impressive catalog but I think his best is still to come. He always keeps me looking forward to whatever else he comes up with.Sun Airway – Put The Days Away

TV GIRL
M.I.A. – /\/\/\Y/\ – There’s something that makes me perversely happy about M.I.A. risking all of her critical and commercial credibility with this schizophrenic mess of a record. Destined to be a cult classic down the line.

Bruce Springsteen – The Promise – A collection of unreleased demos by one of my favorite artists around the time he was recording one of my favorite albums (1978’s Darkness on the Edge of Town). The quality of the songs that didn’t make it onto that record should be depressing for song writers everywhere.

Wise Blood – ‘ + ‘ – The weirdly catchy debut EP by a self-proclaimed “Future” musician. Apparently the future sounds like a mash-up of T.Rex, world beat, and golden age hip-hop. Sounds good to me.

The Thermals – Personal Life – Not as immediately captivating as their other records, but with repeated listens reveals itself to be a nakedly emotional roller-coaster. Almost like a concept record of a failed relationship. Right up there with their best work.

Toro Y Moi – Causers of This – Hip-hop inspired beats drowned in synths and reverb. With this album, Toro y Moi has earned the chillwaver of the year award in my book.

Vampire Weekend – Contra – Good songwriting and a $2 million dollar cover. This album was sure to be a success.

of Montreal – False Priest – Much like the previous album, Skeletal Lamping, this album will take a few listens until it really starts to make sense. The songs and lyrics are unsurprisingly bizarre, but damn it if it isn’t catchy.

Beach House – Teen Dream – Wikipedia Fun Fact: Jay-Z and Beyonce have been spotted at Beach House shows.

Why this band aren’t the biggest fucking band on the planet is completely beyond me. Actually, maybe it’s because they have songs with names like “You Are My Cunt.” Anyway, they are without a doubt the best live band in the UK, and all their records rule. Particularly this one. It’s kind of like the missing link between Coachwhips and Thee Oh Sees. You can download this record, for however many $$$’s you want, from their website (coldrice.com) and you REALLY REALLY should.

2) TY SEGALL – MELTED

So far, I’ve loved everything I’ve heard so far by Ty, and this record is easily the best yet. “Girlfriend” is the best song of the year. Or maybe “Sad Fuzz.” Or maybe any song on the record is. I described this record to a friend last week as “it sounds a little like The Beatles, if they weren’t shit.” I’ll stick to that for now.

3) HARLEM – HIPPIES

I still can’t decide if I like Hippies as much as I liked “Free Drugs,” but I guess that’s a good sign, as I listened to that to death. Also, this is a really good record to kiss girls to. I think it’s something to do with the tempo of the songs or something.

4) HAPPY BIRTHDAY -S/T

Pitchfork gave this record a 7.8, and to them I say “Fuck you!” It should be at least an 8.73491. I managed to catch them live a few times this year which I seriously recommend trying, especially if you’re really high. Kyle Thomas or King Tuff or whatever he’s called now is absolute hero, and has really cool eyes.

5) CRUSADERS OF LOVE – NEVER GROW UP

I think we played with these pop-punkers in Paris a while ago, but I was too drunk on those little french beer bottles to remember their set. That’s the only problem with playing in France, they give you a shit-load of alcohol, but the food is always just baguettes and cheese. It’s a pretty bad combo, the booze/ substantial food ratio is really dangerous. Anyway, this record is great.

6) LAS ROBERTAS – CRY OUT LOUD

I bet every douchebag who reviews this band will use some lazy comparison to Vivian Girls. Personally, I’d say this record sounds a bit like Vivian Girls, if only V.G were hot Latino chicks from Costa Rica, were way more punk, and were more than slightly-above-mediocre. This record is pretty dark too, which makes for good listening on planes, when you’re staring out the window pretending you’re in a really good movie.

7) THEE OH SEES – WARM SLIME

As far as I’m concerned, Thee Oh Sees are one of the best bands on the planet. Ok, so “Warm Slime” isn’t quite my favorite of the 1,395 Oh Sees records released so far, but it’s still up there in my top ten of 2010. Although to be honest, even if the record sucked and I secretly hated it, it’d still be up there just for the artwork. And my huge secret crush on the band in general.

8.) STRANGE BOYS – BE BRAVE

I finished university this summer, and when my mum came to help me move all the shit out of my house, I discovered she had this CD in her car. Despite that, I still love this album so, so much. We were lucky enough to go on tour with these guys this July, so this record reminds me of summer time, hot chicks, and getting too high from Ryan’s apple pipe to go on stage.

9) SWAMPMEAT – CAMP HEARTBREAK
OK, so we’re like BFF’s with this other English band called The Castillians. They have this drummer called Dan, who is really good but has a serious attitude problem. Swampmeat is his other band, a country/rockabilly duo that sing songs about really dysfunctional relationships and big cars. Look up a track called “Brand New Cadillac,” and you will fall in love instantly.

10) THE BEETS – SPIT IN THE FACE…
Yeah I know this was released in 2009, but I only discovered it in January, so I’m including it in this list. It’s been one of my most played records of 2010, for sure. We were in New York last week, and managed to catch a Beets show. The Babies also played, and it was the best show I’d been to all year. The singer had the best voice, some nice shades, and all the girls really WANTED him when he sang that “Happy But On My Way” song. I think I might have done too though.

Blackroc / Self Titled — The Black Keys spent some time in the studio with some of rap’s top talent. It paid off.

Neil Young / Le Noise — Just Neil Young and a fuzzy sonic guitar in an old church. He digs deep and plays great.

WILL HARAWAY – ROLLO & GRADY READER
1. The National, High Violet: It’s a rare thing when you hear something that strikes you as a completely original sound, but the lounge singing baritone of Matt Beringer over danceable Coldplay beats definitely qualifies. Lush, beautiful record that we hope we get on vinyl for Christmas (we’d take any of these, actually.)

2. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros: With something like 12 happy shiny hippy freaks on stage, these guys have caught many an ear with their rookie album. You’ll at least know them subconsciously, as at least three tracks from this record are running in national commercials.

3. Band of Horses, Infinite Arms: These Charleston dudes continue to do everything right and their third record gets better every time you listen to it. Ben Bidwell’s voice is one of our favorite instruments and the addition of Asheville’s Tyler Ramsey put BoH over the top.

4. Drive By-Truckers, The Big To-Do: Any regular reader of this space knows how we feel about this band, so just take that into account when we say that this current run of albums they are on rivals that of the early 70s Rolling Stones. And, they just released a track from next years’ Go Go Boots that sounds funkier than anything they’ve ever done.

5. Alberta Cross, Broken Side of Time: This album fucking rocks. Rocks. Great example of a band killing it on their sophomore album. We’d love to see them live.

6. Jamey Johnson, The Guitar Song: Big Bad Jamey has brought back the vital tradition of Hank Williams (Sr and Jr), Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard and is selling a ton of records doing it. God bless this man.

7. JJ Grey, Georgia Warhorse: One of the most talented guys in music gets better with each and every record and comfortably sticking himself with names like Otis, Smokey, Tony Joe and hey- Toots Hibbert.

8. The Whigs, In the Dark: Yeah how bout these Atlanta fellers? Currently touring the world with Kings of Leon and their time in those big rooms shows through on this album. Kudos to 500 Songs for Kids founder Josh Rifkind for the way he’s managed these guys from the start.

9. The Black Keys, Brothers: There’s not much that you probably don’t know about this fantastic record.

10. Kings of Leon, Come Around Sundown: As big of douches as they appear to be, they sure make killer records. Still– “…the Kings of Leon frontman (is) showing off his war wounds, contusions suffered while diving off a yacht in Italy a week ago. But he’s gotten off easy compared to his older brother Nathan, who tore the labrum in his right shoulder adjusting a catamaran sail…”